


The Rumor Mill

by CatrinaSL



Series: Four Words [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Girls Kissing, Gossip, Kissing, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, SHIP DARCY LEWIS WITH ALL THE THINGS, four words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-23 23:48:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14343540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatrinaSL/pseuds/CatrinaSL
Summary: Darcy tries to convince Peggy that the rumor mill is good for morale.





	The Rumor Mill

**Author's Note:**

> “Okay, I love you.”

"He sure is sweet on you, Peg," Lorraine pointed out as Captain America and the Howling Commandos exited the room. She sidled over to Peggy and nudged her with a hip. "Are you two...?"

"Are we what?" Peggy asked, choosing to ignore whatever Lorraine was trying to convey by bobbing her eyebrows.

Lorraine sighed. "Are you two  _ an item _ ?"

"The only thing Captain Rogers and I  _ are _ , Private," Peggy said, a tone of annoyance in her voice, "Is dedicated. To the fight. To defeating Hydra. Neither of us have time for silly, trivial things like gossip about who is sweet on whom. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Private Lorraine replied, standing at attention due to Peggy's commanding speech.

"Now, as this is a military base and you yourself are a soldier, I believe you have duties, do you not?"

"Yes, Ma'am," the Private repeated.

Peggy nodded. “Dismissed.”

Private Lorraine snapped off a salute before turning on her heel and making a beeline for the door.

There was a soft whistle from the corner of the room. "You told  _ her _ ."

Peggy straightened, clearing her throat as she tugged her jacket down. "I did."

"Why, though?" 

 

Peggy frowned in confusion and kept her eyes on the map that was laid out on the table instead of on the civilian clerk who just happened to be from the year 2012.

 

"What do you mean?" she asked.

'Why'd you slap her down?" Darcy wanted to know. She sidled up to Peggy and leaned against the table next to her. "A good eighty percent of the people here ship you and Steve  _ hardcore _ . You're like, the war's hottest couple."

"Except we're not a couple," Peggy told her, her voice clipped.

"I  _ know _ ," Darcy replied. "But the rumor mill is good for morale. I guess when Lorraine goes and tells everyone what you said, they'll all wonder whether you two had a fight or something, so that could last a week or so... Until  _ Steve _ hears the rumor, and then it could go one of two ways: he actually gets up the courage to ask you out or he decides to cut his losses and make heart eyes at someone else. Which, if the former, you'd have to actually turn him down, leading to the latter. And if Steve shifts his affections to someone else, that person might actually feel the same way in return, and then the brass'll get their panties in a bunch about his 'image' or whatever."

Peggy sighed. "Is there a point to this, Miss Lewis?"

"Well, yeah," Darcy said. "What's the harm in letting everyone else believe that Steve has a chance with you?"

"Because—" Peggy began, glancing at Darcy out of the corner of her eye.

"That way the base gets its gossip, Steve stays focused on the job instead of a budding romance, and the brass stays happy. As happy as the brass  _ can _ be, anyway."

"It wouldn't be right," Peggy said.

"Yeah, I mean, it would suck if you were actually  _ trying _ to lead Steve on. He's some kind of adorableness abomination. Like... a puppy crossed with a baby bald eagle. But you've never been anything but polite or at the  _ most _ friendly to him, so if he has a crush, that's on him, not you. So you don't have anything to feel bad ab—"

"No," Peggy interrupted. "It wouldn't be right because I... have feelings for someone else."

"Ooh, gotcha." Darcy nodded. "And you don't want  _ them _ thinking you're taken. Good call. Well, I guess you could always—"

"Miss Lewis," Peggy said, cutting her off again. "Darcy. I... give me a moment."

"Oh, sure, sorry."

Peggy took a deep breath. "Okay," she began, then turned so that she could look Darcy in the eye. "I love  _ you _ ."

Darcy shifted her weight, but smiled. "And here I thought I was the only one pining away."

Peggy raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

Darcy laughed. "It means—" She stopped and shook her head.

And then she kissed Peggy.

When the two of them stopped to breathe, Darcy set her forehead against Peggy's. "Forget everything I said before about the rumor mill," she breathed. "I'm totally okay with keeping this just between us."

Peggy laughed. "Absolutely."

**Author's Note:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/173034278003/the-rumor-mill)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


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